"Hold his head up."
Erskine insisted. Kaden looked at him, his cool dark eyes giving nothing away. He stepped forward and lifted Dexter Vex's head up. Dexter winced and looked at Kaden, his eyes glassy. Erskine's hand whipped out and slammed into Dexter. Kaden closed his eyes, feeling the other man's strain to keep in his shrieks. This continued for an hour or so before Erskine tired, dropping the chain at Dexter's feet, wiping the sweat of his own brow, spitting on the ground next to Dexter and walking out. Dexter visibly slumped when Erskine left, letting out a breath of relief. Kaden stepped around and was about to leave when he heard a wheeze.
"Water. Please."
Kaden stopped and turned, then left. He came back a moment later, carrying a bottle of water, freezing cold from the fridge. He held it up to man's lips and tilted, slowly. Dexter drank and grunted when he had had enough.
"Pour it over me." He said. Kaden nodded, fully understanding the unpleasant heat in the room. He poured it gently over his head and shoulders, apologising when Dexter winced in pain.
"Thank you." He said, and Kaden didn't know what to say. No one ever thanked him, it just wasn't how things worked. Yet, here it was. Kaden nodded.
"Are they here?"
"No… I'm afraid they aren't."
"Do you know where they are?"
"No, I'm afraid I don't,"
"You've been in her head, Kaden. Will she be okay?"
Kaden hesitated. "I don't know. I honestly don't know."
And Dexter's face contorted into a look of agony and utter hopelessness.
"I have to go," Kaden said quickly, and left, sitting the empty bottle down. He went to his room, sitting on the bed. He took a deep breath, not even sure if it would work. He closed his eyes and reached for them, for their individual minds, unique and strong and beautiful. He found Skulduggery Pleasant's first. Then Valkyrie Cain's. He found them all, and pulled with all his strength, deeply breathing, his hands moving as he took each image, each mind and waded through them, throwing them to corners of the room, his eyes still closed. He gasped when he had all eight and when he opened his eyes his room was alive, illuminated by the Dead Men, their thoughts and feelings and loves and losses and hatreds and battles. But most importantly, their whereabouts.
He made a decision then.
Three days later he acted on that decision.
He snuck back into the room that he knew Dexter was in and untied him, hoisting him gently to his feet. Kaden crept out under night fall, gingerly setting Dexter on the passenger side of the black Volvo. He put his seat belt on and then quietly closed the door. He cursed that he had forgotten his bag and went back into the ridiculous mansion.
"Kaden! There you are!" Holly said, walking towards him. Kaden turned and looked at her.
"What's wrong?" He asked, hoping she didn't realise the roaring in his ears or the hammering of his heart, or the persistent sweat that was pouring off of his dark skin.
"I was wondering if you had seen one of the Rooks from Macon's chess set?" She asked and Macon could have sworn he was going to throw up then and there. What had Macon said? Dexter Vex was a Rook. They must know. Don't blow it though, they might not.
"No. I haven't, sorry." He said. Holly shrugged then walked back the other way and Kaden ran to his room, flung his bad over his back and bolted to the car. Dexter was awake.
"Wh-what are you d-doing?" He asked, a hacking cough tearing through his body.
"Escaping. Breaking you out. Now." Kaden said, fastening his seatbelt and flooring it.
An hour later and he pulled the car up to the Sanctuary, grabbing his bag from the back seat and Dexter from the passenger side, he stumbled in.
"Help! I need help! Please!" He yelled, overly aware of all the blood that had been coughed up and all the wheezing and shallow breaths Dexter was achieving. Cleavers, Tipstaff, China Sorrows and Valkyrie Cain were there in a heart beat.
"Dexter!" Valkyrie called, running to her friend as a cleaver grabbed Kaden.
"No wait, stop!" Valkyrie said. The Cleaver didn't let go.
"Unhand him and go and get Dr Synecdoche." China insisted. The Cleavers left.
"What is happening?" Tipstaff asked.
"Dexter was with Macon, wasn't he? That's where he was delivered." Valkyrie said the pieces clicking together. Before Kaden could answer, Dexter started coughing, falling to his knees as his back and shoulders shuddered, blood spattering on his lips and chin, falling on the floor.
Cleavers lifted him and brought him to the Medical Bay, Valkyrie going with him.
"Why should we trust a Demon?" China asked, looking the boy up and down.
"Because I can help you."
"How?"
"Do you have any flat surfaces I could use?" He asked. She frowned but shrugged, turning on her heel and walking away. Kaden frowned then followed. She stopped outside of a set of double door, looked at him then threw them open to the Mirror Room.
Kaden smiled, walking in.
"Perfect," Then he pressed his finger tips to one, then another, until he reached five and then he closed his eyes and the Dead Men appeared in the mirrors.
"Dexter will be fine- whoa." Valkyrie said, looking at each mirror in turn, taking in the rainforest, the war zone, the snowy hell, the dessert and the ship.
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